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"SENDing Students Soaring": enabling the success of students with SEND through MAT wide CPD strategy
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Authors
Editors
Date
2026
Educational Level
ISCED Level 1 Primary Education
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Abstract
Context: The initiative "SENDing Students Soaring" was launched within a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) in the UK, encompassing 32 educational settings aimed at improving educational outcomes for over 3,500 students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The project was spearheaded by the headteacher of a special school and the Director of Quality of Education, recognizing the necessity for a strategic, trust-wide approach to address the diverse needs within the educational framework.
Aims: The primary goal of the initiative was to enhance leadership capacity, foster adaptive teaching, provide embedded support, and implement focused specialist interventions. The intention was to raise aspirations for students with SEND, elevate teaching standards, and ensure consistent high-quality provision across the trust to improve academic achievement and personal development.
Methods: The project was structured around four strategic strands: outstanding leadership, effective adaptive teaching, embedded support, and focused specialist interventions. Professional development programs were designed to be collaborative and tailored to the specific needs of each school. This included the introduction of the SEND 5-a-Day framework, data-driven decision-making, and training for teaching assistants to promote student independence.
Findings: The initiative demonstrated significant outcomes, with 94% of schools correcting their SEND data, and 100% developing implementation plans. Attendance for SEND students increased, exclusions dropped below national averages, and improvements in GCSE results for SEND learners were noted. Enhanced collaboration between SENCOs and Teaching & Learning leads contributed to raising the profile and support for SEND students.
Implications: The outcomes from "SENDing Students Soaring" illustrate the transformative potential of a distributed leadership model in addressing SEND needs. The insights derived from this initiative highlight the importance of tailored, evidence-based strategies in improving SEND provision. Other educators and institutions can adopt components such as the SEND 5-a-Day framework, emphasis on data-informed practices, and a focus on collaborative professional development to drive meaningful improvements in their own contexts.
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Keywords (free text)
inclusion, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), leadership programme, adaptive teaching, interventions, mainstream-special school partnership